In an attempt to address the growing shortage of medical professionals, various autonomous communities in Spain are considering extraordinary measures, such as hiring doctors without MIR accreditation. This situation, which mainly affects the family and community medicine sector, has led regions such as Castilla y León and the Valencian Community to adopt unconventional strategies.
Exceptional hiring in rural areas
Castilla y León, in particular, seeks to fill vacancies in rural areas by hiring doctors who do not have approval from the MIR or the Ministry of Health. This measure has generated controversy and has been criticized by scientific societies of family medicine, which describe it as “illegal.”
Health response to the controversy
The Ministry of Health has indicated that this problem is not recent and has mentioned the notable increase in the number of places for specialists in recent years. The ministry emphasizes the importance of ensuring quality care with properly trained professionals.
Situation by Autonomous Community
Andalusia has requested the modification and relaxation of criteria to accredit more teaching units, especially in Primary Care and in areas with difficult coverage, and last July the regional government agreed to exempt non-EU foreign specialist medical personnel and nursing personnel from the nationality requirement. to be contracted for Emergency Points, Primary Care and the necessary coverage in some specialties
Aragón is not considering hiring doctors without the MIR at the moment, but has already signed measures, within the framework of the Sectoral Table, a proposal from the union organizations, to achieve the stabilization of professionals, such as offering contracts of up to three years.
The Balearic Health Department has not considered hiring doctors without MIR and to resolve vacancies with a high incidence on especially sensitive services, such as those in the Oncology area of Ibiza, the new PP Government approved in August a decree that allows declaring some positions as ‘very difficult to fill’ and provide them with high salary supplements to encourage the professionals who occupy them.
“There is nothing at the moment” in Cantabria either, although the head of Health, César Pascual, said in the regional Parliament that the Ministry was working on measures to alleviate the lack of doctors in Primary Care with incentives such as “a plus accommodation” , the hiring of final year residents or non-EU doctors.
The Government of Castilla-La Mancha has explained to EFE that for eight years, in relation to positions that are difficult to fill, they have been committed to improving the conditions of professionals mainly in the area of remuneration and stability of contracts in a context of participation and negotiation.
In Catalonia, the Department of Health always prioritizes the hiring of doctors with the MIR for primary care, although hiring depends on the providers, since the public health company – the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) – coexists in this community. with entities that provide public service through concerts (the Siscat network).
In any case, the vast majority of primary care teams are from ICS, the public company, which has recently agreed to a new agreement that incorporates a specific supplement of 20,045 euros for doctors who work in rural areas. The Generalitat also offers incentives of up to 9,000 euros per year for young doctors who choose to do MIR training in family medicine in centers located in rural areas.
In Galicia, MIRs (final year) have been offered stable three-year contracts, according to the Ministry of Health, and in Madrid an order was approved to hire non-EU family doctors and pediatricians, exempting the requirement of having Spanish nationality. .
Another of the measures that the Government chaired by Isabel Díaz Ayuso has implemented is to provide incentives for resident doctors to stay in the region once their training is completed, with a three-year loyalty contract for the MIRs. The Basque executive considers that hiring a person without an MIR qualification is not legal, unless the rule is modified.
Where are there a lack of doctors in Spain?
The lack of doctors in Spain has become a national challenge, forcing authorities to look for innovative and sometimes controversial solutions. The situation is particularly critical in rural areas and in specialties such as Pediatrics or Family Medicine, which has led some communities to take exceptional measures to guarantee health care measures.
What is the MIR?
The MIR (Resident Internal Physician) is a training system for medical specialists in Spain. It is a postgraduate program that combines theoretical training with clinical practice and is essential for specialization in various areas of medicine. Obtaining the MIR title is a fundamental requirement to practice as a specialist doctor in Spain. The current crisis highlights the importance of the MIR in maintaining quality standards in healthcare and raises questions about how to balance the need for specialized doctors with the urgent demands for healthcare across the country.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS